I'll never let you go 2: Your smile
by trinity456
Summary: SEQUEL to I'll never let you go!Now that Naruto and Hinata are together,they're bound to have jealous girls and guys,just trying to rip them apart.With problems from fans,the Kyubi, and clans,will they be able to hold on to their love, or lose it...
1. I'll never let you go 1, Chapter 31

**A/N: HEY EVEYONE!**

So, this is** the sequel to I'll never let you go**! I'm so glad you guys are still following me up to here(the old readers ;) ) but for the ones who just stopped by, just to let you know, that **NO FLAMES** please!  
>I'm a very delicate writer. Just joking!<br>I'd really appreciate it if you took just 1 minute to review on my story, because that usually encourages me to write. Also, this is not a harem story, as I do not believe that Naruto and Hinata should have anyone else but themselves. I am a huge Naruhina fan, and I absolutely love to read fanfics and doujinshis just as much as I love writing and drawing them!

I absolutely love you guys!  
><span>This time I hope to get more readers, and more views!<span>  
><span>So here's just a recap of what happened in the first part of the story!<span>

* * *

><p><strong>Previously, Chapter 31, Next to you, Always<strong>

"I think this dress matches your eyes perfectly Hinata! The way it curves around your body really brings out the hot factor!" The blonde girl smiled, giving her friend two thumbs up signs.

Hinata blushed as did a few twirls in her high heels in front of the mirror, watching as the ends of her dress twirled along with her.

Ino was right- She did look beautiful. The dress was a beautiful strapless lavender, Cinderella dress with ruffles at the ends of it. Not only did it have 'Hinata' written all over it, it also wrapped around her hourglass figure nicely, showing off curves that women would die for. The silky cloth was sewn in swirling patterns around her petite waist, it also complemented every end of her body in ways men would drool over.

Though, there was only one man she would ever want to impress.

"Let's buy this one, okay?" Ino beamed, intertwining her fingers together, "I already have my gown ready! So, consider us set for that soon-to-be ball!"

Hinata smiled.

How grateful was she to have friends like such.

It was less than a week to the ball, and Hinata and all the other girls had their gowns ready, their hearts thumping with excitement. It was going to be a magical experience. After all, it's not every day that you get to dance in a huge majestic ball room in the arms of a handsome young man. In a tuxedo. Not only that, the ball was going to be on Valentine's Day! The most romantic day of the year.

Now she lay in her room upon her bed, smiling towards the blank ceiling of her spacious room while imagining herself in the beautiful gown she bought, dancing in the strong arms of her masculine prince. Hinata let out a happy sigh.

How she wished the ball was that night, or the next day or something.

Turning to face her balcony window, she thought to herself, 'I hope you're just as excited as I am, Naruto-kun…'

* * *

><p><strong>With Naruto<strong>

"OH JEEZ WHERE ON EARTH DO I GET A TUXEDO? I'm pretty sure I had one in here!" The whiskered young teen groaned in annoyance while flinging clothes relentlessly out of his cupboard, "Why are the things always missing when I need them!"

Now he was desperate.

It was all about being the best he could be for Hinata, it was all about impressing her, no one else.

He wanted her to look at him like the man he could be, not the goof who would wear a T-shirt and pants to such an exclusive occasion. Naruto threw himself backwards and landed onto his plush bed, grabbing a pillow before slamming his face into it.

'_When you are frustrated, you take a pillow, and smash your face into it, then scream. That always relieves me of my problems.'_ Said Sai.

_Naruto spat out his water, 'You can scream?'_

He let out a muffled scream, "GARRRRR WHAT DO I DO?"

All of a sudden, a familiar voice replied, "You come with me, retard."

Naruto threw the pillow aside and flipped his head around to his open window, grinning widely at who he saw.

"PERVY-SAGE!" Naruto yelled before scrambling up to his sensei, giving him a knuckle punch.

Jiraiya growled but chose to ignore the fact that Naruto called him that name, but then again, he would probably never stop calling him that, so what was the point of wasting his temper on him?

"You're finally back from that long trip!" Naruto beamed cheekily.

"The trip was…. Interesting hehehe –SLAP- "

Naruto groaned as he watched the pervert of a sensei start to boil at him, 'Geez he's still the same old perv…'

"YOU LITTLE BRAT."

"Why thanks!" Naruto grinned back.

"ANYWAY, that's not the problem. Right now, what you need, is something to make Hinata swoon head over heels for you! And I know exactly what you should wear! Come on, I'll tell you on my journey on the way!" The toad sage let a small smile escape his lips and leapt to the window hedge, waiting for Naruto to tag along. The tall blonde sighed, "It better not be one of those old fashion clothes you got me to wear last year at tha-"

"HEY THAT WAS FUNKY! And Naruto, trust me, you'll definitely wear this." Jiraiya said, his expression suddenly changing in depth.

At this point, Naruto knew that his sensei was really telling the truth, so with a gentle nod, he leapt to where his master was, following him to who knows where.

* * *

><p><strong>-In the middle of a forest-<strong>

"Hey Pervy Sage, where are we going?" The curious blonde asked, taking note of the new environment. Never before had he seen this part of the forest, and he thought he explored almost everything along Konoha.

"We're here." The Sanin said, stopping abruptly in front of a huge tree. Naruto's head perked up when he saw Jiraiya place his hands on a carving on the tree. Naruto shuffled a little closer to his sensei and noticed what was carved onto the tree.

"That's…?" The blonde asked.

Jiraiya smiled, "Naruto, this is what your father carved when he fell in love with your mother."

The teen's eyes snapped open with astonishment, before placing his hands onto the dents of the carving.

It read, " M+K" And a heart as the border for it.

Naruto looked as if he hadn't seen light in years, staring intensely at the marks.

"Then… Their names are…?"

Jiraiya cut him off, "Anyway, stay here and don't do a thing. I'm serious. You do something wrong here, and things will never be the same."

The blonde stretched out his hand to his teacher before asking, "Wait pervy-sage I had pa-"

By the time Naruto finished his sentence, his teacher was already long gone.

The jinchuriki growled with irritance.

This was all new for him.

He has parents?

Pervy-sage knew of his parents?

This was just too much, and right before he could ask, he just had to disappear.

"URGHHH WHERE'S THE PILLOW WHEN YOU NEED ONE."

* * *

><p><strong>14 February 2012 Valentine's Day, the Ball.<strong>

The day had finally arrived. The day everyone had been waiting for was finally here. Girls with all sorts of dresses entered the ballroom, men in only one kind of costume.

Three girls, a blonde, a brunette, and a dark-haired maiden strolled into the grand entrance, walking up the red-carpeted staircase to the ballroom.

All at once, the girls 'wowed' at what they saw.

The ballroom was amazing. Fantastic. Incredible. All the adjectives they could use. Crystal Chandeliers were hung down from the painted ceilings of angels and musical instruments, and gold pillars with silver carvings were spaced out around the room. People flooded into the room, and from where the girls were, they had a perfect view for looking for their dates.

Colours and styles of all sorts blended nicely to form an array of rainbows.

"Do you see any of the guys?" Ino asked.

Hinata and Ten ten shook their heads while keeping an eye out.

"N-no… But I'm s-sure we'll f-find them." Hinata smiled.

It would be a miracle if they did. The ball was a huge place. But Hinata knew that she would find Naruto either way. He would stand out. Because he was Naruto after all.

She would keep her eye out for him. Then again, she hoped he would come.

At the same time, the guys were looking out for their dates while standing by the cupcake tables.

Chouji, already having eaten 10 cupcakes still continued to wipe out the cupcake population. Sai on the other hand was reading his book titled_**, 'How to make her happy'**_

'**Don't be selfish. Be a gentlemen.' **Was the chapter.

"Oh jeez, Temari had to go back for a month-long mission. Coming here was a total waste of time…" Shikamaru muttered, a slight sign of hurt and sadness in the tone of his voice.

Neji stood by the chocolate fountain, secretly eating some chocolate tarts.

Standing beside him was a young man, dressed up nicely in a well-fitting tuxedo. The outline of his muscles could still be seen, and in the background, girls were fan girling over him, whispering things like, "Oh my gawd that guy has smexy written all over his body!"

"I wonder if he's single! Should I go and ask him out?"

"What a handsome man! He's totally my type of guy!"

Unknown to them, Naruto could hear all their comments.

At the age of 12, he would have been smirking to himself, picking on the hottest girl in the crowd to dance with. Now though, he was changed. Those girls could say what they liked, but his heart belonged to Hinata and her only.

That was when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, only to meet scarlet blood red eyes. Not the prettiest thing around. The lady looked young, maybe slightly older than him. Her burly brown hair flowed down her bear back, her dress revealing almost half her cleavage.

"Yes, what may I do for you, mamm?" Naruto asked politely.

The lady smirked seductively before throwing her hand onto Naruto's chest, pulling him closer to her a little, "You're really handsome, let me give you that. Care for a dance?"

**Back with the girls**

"Hey, there Naruto is! I'd recognize that blonde hair as a rip off to mine any day!" Ino said, pointing to Naruto in the crowds.

Ten ten gasped, "You're right, that is him! And neji and the guys are all there!"

The blonde-haired girl clapped her hands and jumped slightly in her heels, before her eyes snapped back open.

"Hey, what's that slut over there doing to Naruto!" Ino screamed, causing Hinata to immediately stare at her boyfriend. Naruto's face was inches away from a really attractive woman, and she had her fingers twined around him. Her worst nightmare was coming true.

Out of nowhere, she ran down the steps as fast as she could, squeezing her way through the crowd.

"Sorry…. Ah…. Excuse me…" She mumbled, some guys giving her winks.

Nothing else was on her mind except getting inbetween Naruto and that girl. She knew the kind of things women could do to have men fall into their trap, and with a body like such, it was going to be easy. Her heartbeat quickened, and finally she got to the cupcake stand, only to see Naruto removing the woman's hand from his chest, and pushing her away slightly, causing her and her friend's to stare at him in shock.

His glare on her stiffened, and for a split second, you could almost see the look of anger in the lady's eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I'm already waiting for someone else, mamm." He said in a very relaxed manner, causing Shikamaru and chouji to stare at him in amazement.

'_Who knew Naruto had that in him...'_ Chouji thought with his 15th cupcake in his mouth.

'_Way to go you retard.'_ Shikamaru smirked inside.

For a while, the lady stared at Naruto angrily before she snatched her hand away from his grasp.

"And I thought men like you had actual taste! Let's go girls." She said rudely, before walking off with her friends towards the fountain area.

Naruto's back had been to Hinata all this while as she silently did leaps in her heart. She should've known. She didn't have to be there to know that Naruto was cheating on another woman.

"Thank goodness…" Hinata sighed before looking to the marble floor.

Naruto smirked, hearing that angelic voice ringing in his ears. He turned around and called her name, "Hina-chan."

Hinata heard his husky voice, and looked up with a huge blush spread across her cheeks.

"N-n-narut-to…k-kun…." She stuttered.

She hadn't actually gotten the chance to fully see Naruto from head to toe. Hinata couldn't hold back her blush. He looked absolutely…. Amazing. Handsome, hot, smoking hot. His spiky golden locks were not as wild as it usually was, and it almost looked combed. The tuxedo fit him perfectly. You could still see the outlines of his muscle, and his eyes looked even more beautiful than usual. She was in love with a perfect man. A man in every man.

Naruto grinned. His lover was looking extremely beautiful tonight. The beautiful dress she wore hugged her body tightly, showing off the wonderful curves of her body. Her hair looked long and silky, flowing down her back like a waterfall. With a pink blush across her cheeks, and her kissable lips looking even redder than usual, he had to say, she was a goddess.

Naruto took a few steps forward to Hinata slowly, causing the girl to hesitate and look in any direction other than into his eyes. She knew that once she met contact with them, she would start to wobble in embarrassment. He was her one true strength and weakness.

The handsome blonde lifted her chin gently, letting her face him.

"Hinata… You truly are beautiful tonight…" He whispered.

Hinata's face flushed and became as red as a tomato.

"Y-You l-l-look … nice as well." She smiled while playing and twiddling with her fingers, something Naruto always found extremely adorable.

He grinned and stretched out his hand to her, causing her to gasp and look at him with intense eyes. His hazel eyes sparkled with sexiness and his husky voice whispered out to her, "Dance with me."

Hinata, already feeling as if her insides could explode, simply bit her lips, nodded and reached out for his hand. As soon as they both touched, an electric spark was sent through their bodies. She felt herself shudder. This was strange- she had touched him so many times, and yet, why was she going back to her old habits now? It wasn't even body contact!

Naruto lead his angel to the dance floor slowly, before turning himself around to face her. He wrapped his left arm around her petite waste, while cupping her hands with the other. With a slight jerk, he pulled her body to his, pressing their upper torsos together. Hinata 'eeped' like a frightened mouse, causing Naruto to smirk beneath his smile. As the music played, the two danced the slow rhythm, feeling themselves start to move, synchronizing every step and every movement. It felt like magic.

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

_A life goes by _

_Romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I want is to hold you_

_So close_

Hinata realized that while she and Naruto were dancing, he was too singing along to the lyrics of the song, almost as if he were saying it to Hinata as his own confession of the heart. The lights had dimmed, and a romantic atmosphere was created_. 'Ino-chan was right…'_ she thought to herself, _'this place really is wonderful…'_

Naruto had his eyes locked on hers, caught in an enchanting daze. The pale-ninja let a cheerful smile cross her lips. She was truly having a great time here. Watching him as his body swayed with such elegance, she found herself hypnotized in this prince's movements. It was almost as if he had practiced for this moment.

"N-Naruto-kun… you're really good at this…" Hinata said, looking at his warm hands on her hips.

The blonde smiled, "Not as good as you are."  
>He squeezed her hand tighter, sending her for a twirl.<p>

_So close to reaching that famous happy end_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far we are so close_

As the magical couples spinned on the dance floor, everyone other than them seemed to notice the spot light on them. They were the shining couple of the festival. As the blonde spun her, her dress flowed in circles, her body swift and as a graceful as a white swan.

Nothing else seemed to matter anymore. This was what Hinata had dreamed of. This was what she had wanted all her life. Now that she finally had it, she would be devastated if someone took it all away. But there was no way she was going to let anyone steal her man. All the other people in the ballroom seemed to be drowned out.

Hinata bent forward to rest her head on her protector's strong chest which she could feel through his tuxedo. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she could hear his doing so as well. She felt the warmth that radiated off Naruto, the warm grip he had on her waist and hand, his warm breath against her forehead.

What was about this man that made her fall so desperately In love with him? Oh that's right, everything.

"Naruto-kun…" She muttered softly, letting her eyelids close.

"Yeah…?"

Hinata smiled, "I love you…"

The Uzumaki beamed with happiness, pressing his soft lips to her forehead, letting his hand roam up and down her back.

"I love you too." He said without hesitance.

There was once a point in his life, where he didn't know how to love, or what love was.

He thought no one would be his teacher.

But he was wrong.

Too damn wrong.

It took nothing more than a beautiful and kind young girl, to teach him the true meaning of love.

He pulled her closer to him, taking in her sweet essence.

"I love you too…" He repeated, resting his chin on her head.

She didn't mind. She never did.

_How could I face the faceless day_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy end_

_And almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

_So close…_

Naruto pulled apart slightly, before taking a few steps away from Hinata to her dismay.

_So close_

'_We are so close now…'_ He thought.

_And still…_

'_But there's so much more I want to do with her… There is so much we haven't done… There's so much more…'_ With a sad smile, the teen mouthed the last words.

_So far…_

The music began to fade away slowly, followed by a loud applause. Claps echoed off the huge walls of the hall, people cheering for the couples.

"Go Naruto and Hinata! Woohoo!" yelled Ino who had been making out with a puzzled Sai. She turned to look at Sai who was smiling awkwardly.

'_Jeez… maybe I could get Naruto to give Sai some dance lessons…'_

Hinata grinned with a pink-tinted blush, wrapping Naruto in her arms, "Naruto-kun… That was so much fun!" She threw her arms around her lover's muscular neck as he chuckled.

"Hey, let's have a little bit more dancing and stuff, but later, I want to take you somewhere… Just the two of us." Naruto spoke in a well-mannered voice, staring intensely into Hinata's eyes. Without any questioning, the girl beamed and agreed. She was glad. No one had ever shown this much affection her ever before. He was truly her soul mate.

"Hey, could I take a picture for you two?" A young teen, probably 14, said, holding up a rather large camera. Naruto and Hinata crossed glances, and decided to have their picture taken. It was a good way to remember the event.

After some more tiring dancing, Naruto took Hinata's hand, and lead her out of the majestic ballroom. When they stepped out, Naruto grinned, winking, "Whenever you're ready, we can go, love."

Hinata nodded, taking a last glance at the grand ball.

'I'm going to miss this place…' The girl smiled sadly.

"We can go again, Hinata-chan." Naruto said, breaking the silence, "Does that sound good?"

.

.

.

"Yeah. Thank you." She smiled, before Naruto swept her into his arms, lifting her into the star-blanketed midnight sky.

In the arms of her man, she almost felt like she was in a twilight movie, her as Bella and her Naruto as Edward. The only difference was that, Naruto wasn't a vampire, but he was ten times hotter than Edward. His skin wasn't pale white, but a nice tanned light brown. She could feel the wind rushing towards her, the strong breeze bringing wild and messy back to the blonde's hair, but that was exactly how she liked it.

"W-Where are we going, Naruto-kun?" She asked sweetly.

He looked down to the baby in his cradled arms, "One of my amazing secret places. You'll love it."

She sighed.

Naruto was a heck of an adventurer. Whenever he had the time, he would go off to explore the hidden forests of Konoha. Along the outskirts, in the village, that would probably have been all explored. Probably.

Hinata could only wait in curiosity until she got to the place. She'd always knew that Naruto was out to get her amazed. Though, he never ceased to make her smile.

After a minute or so, Naruto finally landed smoothly, a gush of air circling beneath his feet.

"Please alight from the plane. Thank you. Watch your step pretty lady." Naruto grinned, setting his passenger down slowly, "Thank you for flying on Naruto Airlines, and you are MORE than welcome to come back anytime you want."

The girl cracked a small muffled laugh and poked him playfully, "Why thank you, young and handsome pilot."  
>Her feet were once again reunited with the ground.<p>

Looking up, she felt her eyes sparkle upon what she saw. Yup, she was in pure astonishment again. Before her were rolling hills of even green grass, filled with gardens of lavender-tinted white daisies. In the middle of the garden was a still lake, reflecting the moon's shimmering light and the stars above. It truly was yet another exquisite place that brought her to absolute joy. Without any trees or anything obstructing the hill, you could probably see all the way to another village.

Clutching her hands together, she smirked shyly. "I must hand it to you, Naruto-kun. You have never ceased to surprise me…"

She turned back to Naruto, her luscious lips forming a wide smile, "This is incredibly beautiful…"

The jinchuriki returned her smile and walked over to wrap his arms around her waist. "I thought you might like it."

Hinata joked softly, "A-are you kidding? I… I love it..."

"Thank you…"

For minutes they stood there in the same warm embrace, taking their peaceful and beautiful surroundings in. One day that beauty could all disappear, so it was best to enjoy everything now.

Then, a sudden giggle escaped the female's lips, causing her boyfriend to perk his head up.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

Bending her head backwards until her head touched Naruto's neck, she beamed, "I was just thinking of… when you told me you loved me… the first time… Do you remember?"

Naruto let his hands slide up and down his lover's waist as he started to recall that time…

_Flashback (Chapter 18)_

_"N-naruto-san...?" Hinata asked, looking up to meet beautiful blue orbs._

_"Yes, Hinata?" He responded, caressing her soft cheek with his hand, making her blush._

_"Why..."_

_" Why did I become... so important to you...?"_

_Naruto beamed at her, moving his thumb over her red, supple lips, "Because... Because..."_

_"You..."_

_"But... You'd even go to the extent of risking your life for me... It's something that... I'm sure... f-friends would do for each o-other but..."_

_He cut her off there again to get back at her._

_"You're right..." He grinned cheekily._

_Out of confusion, she looked up to him, not understanding what he meant by that._

_"W-what...do you mean?" She stammered, feeling his hand continue to stroke her back._

_"I did risk my life for you..."_

_She nodded, "Mhm..."_

_Naruto pulled Hinata in closer to him till their noses were touching._

_They could feel each others' breath, warm and nice._

_He looked into her deep, white eyes, staring into them as if they went on forever and ever...Blush was written all over her face as he lips touched hers eyes were closed as he spoke softly into her lips..._

_"But... I didn't do it... just ...as a friend..." Even though it didn't look it, Naruto's heart was pounding out of his chest just as much as Hinata's was, it was just that he was trying to stay calm, wanting this confession to be right... He wouldn't make the same mistakes again..._

_She gasped slightly, trying to suppress her thoughts as they started to go out of control..._

_'He couldn't mean...'_

_"I risked my life for you..."_

_._

_._

_"Because... I love you..."_

_With that, he pressed his soft lips onto hers, sealing them both together in a warm passionate kiss. His hands roamed all over her back, up and down, bringing her closer to him. Hinata didn't know how to react, but some part of her, just made her want to kiss him back. Following what her heart told her, she wrapped her small arms around his neck and pulled him in deeper into the kiss. She was in bliss, and so was he._

_FLASHBACK END_

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled and hugged his girlfriend tighter.<p>

"Yes. How could I ever forget…"

Hinata slowly loosened the grip of Naruto's embrace and faced him, staring lovingly into his orbs of infinity, "I'm glad you chose me…"

The blonde chuckled handsomely, "I'm glad you chose me too."

The girl in purple formed a curve with her lips and hugged her boyfriend tightly, their bodies pressing together tightly.

"Why me though…? I'm not as pretty as all those other women out there… And don't try to be cheesy like you always are, "Hinata stopped and poked his nose, "and tell me some beauty line. Tell me… the real reason…"

Naruto could see that she was really curious, and he knew that a cheesy line wouldn't be able to win this case, even though he would mean it. The real reason ehh?

"I'll give you an example. Look at what surrounds you, Hinata-chan."

Hinata turned her head around, "White flowers." Her eyebrows poked up, wondering where he was going with this.

"They're pretty aren't they?" He asked, earning a small nod as a reply.

"They're just like many other women. Pleasing to the naked eye. But… the only thing is… They're all the same."

Hinata gasped.

"Although… You were the first woman I saw who stood out like no other…" Naruto bent down to his knees and plucked a white daisy, got back up slowly, and took hinata's hand in his around the flower.

"Just like any white daisy in a field of them, they'd all look the same. But, if you were to see an exquisite beauty like no other amongst all of those common flowers..."

Suddenly, a spark started from the tip of the flower, travelled up from the end of the flower to the top of it, along the way, turning into a fresh red rose.

"A red rose perhaps…?"  
>Hinata's eyes widened. How had he done that…<p>

"You get a beautiful, attractive, outstanding woman who gets any man head over heels for you."

The pale-eyed beauty covered her mouth with her free hand.

"But it's not just the outside that counts, it's also the inside." Naruto brought the rose closer to Hinata until she got a good view of the inside. What she saw surprised her to the brim. The flower was rainbow-colored on the side with small golden dust.(Pixie dust-looking)

"This is…" She started.

"Not only is her outside so beautiful, but so is her inside. She is colorful and vibrant, and shines out like no other. She's got a heart of gold if you ask me."

Naruto slipped the rose gently into his angel's hair behind her ear, sweeping lose strands of midnight locks back, "Now if you were me, how could you not fall for such an angel?"

Hinata felt her tears threatening to fall.

Biting her lips gently, she threw herself onto Naruto, her lips smashing into his with newfound love and lust. Naruto's eyes widened, but after a few seconds, he returned the kiss with triple the love and lust. What could he say, if a hot angel whom he loved was making out with him, how could he push her away? Hinata's hands were firmly locked in Naruto's blonde hair, while the young man let his hands travel down to grope hinata's butt, causing her to squirm in a mixture of delight and embarrassment.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She squealed, causing herself to jolt backwards, pulling her soul mate along with her. They landed smoothly on the grass, and since it was an inclined slope, the two started to roll down, their lips still locked in a feisty tongue wrestle. The couple moaned into the kiss, and when the rolling came to a stop, it ended up with Hinata on top of Naruto.

She smiled with a small smirk, bent down and licked his lips softly, "I won."

Naruto grinded his hips against hers, causing her to moan and fall to her side, Naruto then rolling around to pin her hands down under him.

With her hair spread out along the flower bed, the girl gasped. That all happened too quickly.

With a seductive, devilish smirk, the blonde bent forward to land a kiss upon his girlfriend's nose.

"Sorry hot stuff, but the daddy's won this round."

Hinata laughed and slid her wrists out of Naruto's gentle grip, gazing sweetly into his eyes.

"I… I love you…"

It was once again those three words which made Naruto feel that tingling sensation in his stomach- The three powerful words that reminded him that there was someone out there who truly loved him for him. Not for what he contained. He felt himself sadden at that thought though. He has yet to tell Hinata that he was the contained for the Kyubi, and he knew that there would come a day where he would have to tell her the truth… And maybe on that very day… She would leave him…

But for now, that day could wait.

It didn't matter.

Caressing her supple cheek softly, with the rose still behind her ear,Naruto smiled, "I love you too…"

After that wonderful night, Naruto walked Hinata home, before embracing her in yet another passionate kiss, before watching her as she swayed her hips down to her front door.

With one more glance, she mouthed the words_, 'I love you.'_ Again.

Naruto blushed slightly, before mouthing them back to her, _'I love you more than you know it. Goodbye.'_

Hinata smiled sweetly, before continuing to walk down the long pavement.

The blonde watched her as she got further and further away from him, before disappearing in a sudden flash.

That night had been an amazing night for the couple, and Hinata had never felt more loved that ever before. With the fresh rose still in her hair, she reached her main door. Looking to the 'welcome' carpet in front of her, she realized she had some gifts.

Picking them up, she couldn't help but let her tears roll gracefully down her soft cheeks. In her hands was a bouquet of lavender roses, and he had too given her a box of chocolates with the icing, "N+H" on each chocolate through the transparent lid.

On the box was a card:

"_Hinata:_

_I hope you like the gifts I got for you. I had the chocolates specially done, and the flowers- roses as your favourite colour. On this special day of love today, I hope you know that what I do for you, I do because I want to. Because I love you. I hope to strengthen our relationship to the limit, so that no other man will dare to touch you. But until then, I will protect you. In fact I'll protect you forever and always._

_Love, Naruto Uzumaki  
>Happy Valentine's Day<em>

_I love you."_

At this point, Hinata had been letting all the tears out. She clutched the gifts tightly in her arms. No, it wasn't the presents that were doing this to her, but the love that he had put into this. She could almost feel his heart beat for hers, feel his strong arms embracing hers, saying those very words to her.

_"I risked my life for you...because i love you..."_

She sobbed silent tears, feeling the smooth edges of the rose.

"Thank you… Naruto-kun…"

With that, she removed her shoes and walked into her house of sanctuary, unknown to her, that a certain blonde-knuckle-head had been watching her the whole time from the roof.

He smiled as he watched her. The time would come. -He thought. Someday he would hold her in her arms while they would make love. Someday he would have her living with him. Someday he would be standing on top of his own carved head, but all in all, he would do it with Hinata by his side.

No matter what was to come in the future, they would face it together. Looking up to the skies of destiny, he felt a breeze gently carress his cheek. He smiled. "Dad... Mom... I hope you can see how happy I am now... Although I don't know who you are... I know you're out there... " He whispered.

With that, a sudden gust of wind swept him again, with gentle love and passion, almost like it was kissing his cheek saying, "We're proud..."

Tears rolled down his cheek, _'I love you guys...'_

He hopped down to her balcony and peeked from there, watching as she slumped onto her bed, falling asleep slowly with a peaceful, adorable smile on her face. That brought him great hapiness.

"I love you too… Sweet dreams… My love…"

He leaped off into the dark skies, disappearing as a star in the horizon. One day, he would proudly be able to call Hinata his own, his mate, his soul mate forever. Till then, this was enough.

She was all he needed. Now and forever…

"….I love you too…"

* * *

><p><strong>ME:<strong> Thank you, SO MUCH, for taking time to read this!  
>I'd love it if you could be so kind, as to leave a kind( non-flame) review in the little review page! :)<p>

Once again, thank you all for reading!  
><strong>I hope to see you in the next chapter!<strong>

**trinity456 out!**


	2. Prologue

A/N: Hey guys! I know it's been a REALLY long time since I last updated, but that's because firstly, there's work, and work comes first. Secondly, I wish I got more reviews But for those who reviewed and added my story to their favorites, thank you! Please do leave a review; it really inspires me to write! Here's the link to the previous story, I'll never let you go:.net/s/7342904/1/

_So, time to begin! :D YAY!_

_**Prologue**_

He ran, his footsteps heavy and clumsy, his head spinning in tight circles. He had to get away from them, to protect them. It was for their own good. He did it because he loved them. They were his family…

After all…  
>"You are the nine-tailed fox!" A certain grey-haired man spat.<p>

His entire world seemed to revolve in striped spirals that rotated around him, and the path seemed almost never ending. 'Why…' he cried, 'Why am I such a monster…?' The young teenager crumbled to the spinning floor, squirming and moaning as the heavy 'weight' dragged him down to his knees. The nails attached to the tips of his fingers extended profoundly, becoming untrimmed and cracked. His blonde hair stood up, wilder than usual, and his canines seemed to extend in an unsightly way, peeling out of his cracked up lips, jagged and ready to kill. The blue in his eyes melted into his socket, the round cornea transforming into a slit. Blood seeped into his once beautiful orbs.

He was changing.  
>But on the inside, he was the same man.<br>Though, appearances did fool many.

"Naruto… y-you…. You're a MONSTER!" His pink haired 'sister' shrieked.

"That's not Naruto, it's a demon!" A blonde girl replied.

"I knew it. I knew it all along. Naruto's dangerous! He can't control himself! One day he odd to kill us all!"

"Correction. **IT** odd to kill us all."

" I can't believe I was so stupid. Naruto's… just…"

"Just stay away from him."

"Oh God, looking at him makes me sick."

All his friends, the people he once knew as his comrades, his sensei, his teacher, his grandfather, were all throwing their worst insults at him. That look in their eyes- the look of hate, the look that everyone used to give him. This was more than he could take, his heart on the limit of cracking. To make things even 'better', **she** just had to come.  
>The beautiful konoichi stepped forward, shooting the blonde a look of disgust at the sprawled up transformation under her chin. It was a look that he had never expected from her. <em>'How pitiful.'<em> She thought.

"Hi-hi-hinata-ch-chan…" The words he tried to form suddenly seemed like a middle school word in nursery.  
>The girl bent down, seemingly trying to help him up. Her shadow formed over him, and for some strange reason, it scared him. The darkness scared him.<br>No, never again would he go into darkness. He was a victim of it once, but never again.

For a split second, he felt his heart enlighten, until that sick smirk formed on her face. His smile was gone.

"Pathetic. Demon. You don't deserve anyone. You don't even deserve to live. Stop being such a nuisance to everyone… I never even loved you. Stop living in your fake lala land, and just go back to hell, where you belong. You're such a freak! No wonder my father wanted to kill you! Next time, I pray he does!" She spat on him, before twirling her heels away.

Naruto felt his whole world explode. What had she just said to him? The painful words were slowly sinking in, but his brain just had a hard time computing it. Since when did words hurt him? They were merely verbal things that people uttered. Well, it hurt when the words of insults came from the people he cared for. Especially her.  
>"No…" He cried, watching her go, laughing maniacally.<p>

.

"No… please no…" He whimpered.

.

One by one, they walked out on him, looking down at him with horror.

.

"No…"

.

.  
>.<p>

"No…" The tears poured out of his eyes.

.  
>.<p>

**"HINATA-CHAN!"**

!

The boy jerked out of his single bed in cold sweat, his lips a pale purple, his face unusually sweaty, the bed sheet under him being clutched soft material flowed through his hands as he rubbed his fingers over it's smoothness. Tears were in his eyes, flowing down his tanned cheeks. The room was almost pitch dark, and the sound of singing crickets echoed throughout the room. He flipped his head over, just to check if she was still there. By his side, a young lady lay peacefully in a slumber with a star material mile spread across her peaceful face.

_'Thank God…'_ He sighed,_ 'It was just a dream…'_

Naruto lifted up the cold hospital blanket, and then his shirt, only to see red, glowing markings around his seal. His eyes widened. "It's not real… If I go back to sleep… I'll be fine. I'll be fine."  
>He slapped his cheeks a couple of times, before flopping back onto the bed post.<p>

"OWWWW!" He screamed/whispered.  
>Turning to Hinata, he smiled. She was still asleep.<br>With that, the blonde laid back insecurely back onto the bed, turning to his side to face the woman he loved so much. With a hesitant smile, he shut himself off.

_**End of** **prolugue**_

Naruto: Oh no! What's happening to my little seal?

Hinata: I don't know...

Naruto: But. But... But...

Hinata: Try not to worry about it, alright, Naruto-kun? -massages his shoulders-

Naruto: -feels calm- Alright -purrs-

Hinata: Awww so cute!

Sakura: Haha, that's funny.

Kiba: Oh jeez... -stares at something else-

Shikamaru: Look!

Sakura, Kiba, Naruto, Hinata: WHAT?

Shikamaru: -steals all their french fries- Oh it was nothing.

PLEASE PLEASE review! Me likey :D 


	3. Chapter 1

~COOL AGENT MUSIC STARTS while I roll it with funk~

A/N:

Hey everyone! I'm so glad that you guys have been reviewing! Lolz, really hope to get more though! So if YOU are reading this, **please review later**! It really affects my writing, especially if you want to help me improve! I write for the love of writing Naruhina though, because it's just the most incredible couple EVER. I'm sorry, but MASASHI MUST make Naruhina happen! And for some of you, did you watch the **latest Naruto shippuden ending**? Hinata's in it! I totally freaked out when I saw her OKAY? LOLZ

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, but do you know how badly I want to?

**RECAP of previous chap**: Naruto ends up in the hospital, and has a nightmare. He wakes up only to find Hinata beside him and notices that his seal is glowing red, but doesn't really feel bothered and goes back to sleep.

HERE WE GO! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<br>**  
><strong>SHE'D<strong>been waiting since dawn for him to awaken. The scarlet red splashed into the morning sky, followed by a huge ball of fire, rising to meet the sky. Slumping against the plush cushion, she leaned on the miniscule couch by the bed. The dripping of water tapping the sides of the white, dirtied sink echoed throughout the tiny room, amplifying its gloomy atmosphere. Tearing walls with its prison-grey paint merely seemed to sadden her. Currently, she was 18, next in line for heiress of the Hyuga clan.

Hinata had been distressed for the pass week- he hadn't woken up. There were eye bags in her eye bags, and a black wrinkled shade formed deep beneath her eyes. She rarely left his side, trusting that he'd wake up. When he did, she didn't want to miss it.

_'You pushed yourself way…too… far this time. Just please, wake up…'_ She bit her lips, the visible red marks of tension lining her graceful lips like dimples in her bottom lip.  
>Both her hands enter winding, shaking hard.<p>

His eyelids were closed, his lips parting slightly, and that beautiful slight grin he had to that. That was her hope. That smile had always been. He was always like that-pushing his body to new limits.

She had been lonely without him. She had been lonely without him dragging her around, feeding her ramen at Ichirakus, hugging her, loving her. It just reassured her to how much she needed him in her life. Heck, she would never let him slip into another girl's clutches. Who would?

A sigh was released. Her eyelids fell.

Her small hand slipped into his motionless one, sliding in between his fingers. With a gentle squeeze, she smiled sadly.  
>She was left to stray into deep thought about her future. How would she cope with the tough responsibilities of being heiress? Would that mean intense paper work? Would she end up like her father?<br>That word echoed in her mind.  
><em>'father'<em>  
>She hadn't seen him in a long time. A very long time. She wondered what happened to him. Even though he had treated her unfairly before, he was still her father, and she loved him.<br>Before her wandering intensified, a firm squeeze embraced her hand with warmth. With a slight gasp, she flipped over to the blonde. His hair dropped messily over his eyebrows, the tips poking his eyes. His eyes were half-open, looking a bit dazed. Letting out a muffled yawn, he turned slowly to face Hinata.

He beamed for the first time in a week, which was extremely unusual.  
>She blushed. That was the grin she missed so much.<p>

"H-Hinata-chan…? …Hey… I-" Before he could continue, he was tackled. Small arms were wrapped around him and she tightened her embrace. She missed this feeling- his body heat surrounding her, and the great feel of it all. To have her man in her arms, that gave her a strange pleasure.  
>Hinata dipped her head into Naruto's broad shoulders, "Naruto-kun, " feeling the lively essence of her lover.<p>

Naruto smiled. He returned the hug and tilted his head towards Hinata. It was amazing to know that she would be there when he woke up, by his side. Heck, he wanted her to be the first thing he saw every day. His hand travelled up and down her back as he took in her lavender essence.

"Hey you…" He grinned.  
>Hinata's smile brightened, "Hey yourself…" (AN: I just want you guys to know that this line was from Mr and Mrs Smith I think. Amazing show!)  
>Naruto snickered.<br>The girl pulled apart after a couple of minutes, only to flick her lover on the forehead with swift fingers. He jerked backwards before his hands ran up to his 'dented' forehead. He stared at her agape, giving the saddest, cutest look he could make up.

"Ow…. Hina-channnn…. What was that for…?" He pouted teasingly.

Hinata's face hardened, "What was that for? Do… D-Do you know how worried I was for you? You didn't wake up, and I thought you weren't going to anytime soon…" She twiddled her fingers, "And… I don't care if you're training for that jounin vest…"

"Don't push yourself…" She muttered, "I don't want you to get hurt…"

A blush crept on Naruto and Hinata's cheeks. Naruto would never get used to her kind of affection. She was always so caring, so loving towards him, and despite all the mushy things they had been through, Hinata had still been always so shy about trying to express herself. It was true, that over time, she had gotten louder; more outgoing, but still, her shy natured returned ever so often. She pulled jokes around him, and the change was definitely visible.

Naruto was currently training for a jounin title. Yes, he was still a genin, but the Hokage had approved of him skipping chunin. Naruto was the soon-to-be 'jounin genin'. He had been assigned a number of A rank missions, the vest being his prime target. The most recent mission he had gone on was a high A rank mission to retrieve information on the whereabouts of Orochimaru and more importantly, Sasuke Uchiha. Sadly, on the mission, Naruto had encountered a couple of members of the Akatsuki, thus resulting in serious injuries, causing him to be out for a week.

Even with the continuous healing from the Kyubi, the injuries were still severe, and took more time to heal.  
>Naruto smiled softly at his girlfriend, feeling himself overwhelmed with love for the beautiful woman sitting opposite him. If it weren't for his twisted ankle, he would've pounced on Hinata, sending her down to the bed for a tickle war, but he knew that he'd lose due to his major disadvantage. With outstretched arms, he winked.<p>

"Hina-chan, come here."

With slight hesitation, she got onto the bed and into the jinchuriki's arms. He hugged her warmly, pressing her to his chest.  
>Swaying slightly, he kissed her forehead, "Don't worry about me. No one's going to kill me before I become Hokage, and when I do, I'll be even more invincible! Just like Chuck Norris!"<p>

Hinata sighed, partially laughing at his antiques, but her other half feeling the worry.  
>"Chuck Norris? Haha… Naruto-kun, very funny…" She said in a sarcastic, worried tone.<p>

Naruto noticed her worried expression and brought her face up to his. He slipped his fingers beneath her chin and tilted it upwards gently to face him.

"Hinata-chan, don't worry. No one's going to take you away from me, or take me away from you. I'm very protective, in case you haven't noticed. If there's a man who's sniffing you out, you tell me right away, and I'll _destroy_. Him. Tear him up, stab him, then kill him. Then, I'll revive him just to kill him again."

Hinata blushed and laughed, nodding slightly in his hands.

Naruto grinned, pushing his nose against hers, "I missed your lips."  
>His eyes bore deep into her orbs.<em>'Oh no, I'm getting lost in them.' <em>Ohhhh the agony!

As much as she wanted to look away, she felt she couldn't. Something was forcing her to stare into his orbs. It was almost as if he was tempting her.

_'Look into my eyes.'_ She swore she heard that.  
>"I missed you…" He whispered huskily.<br>Hinata's intensified, feeling her warmth radiating off her. She could feel his breath tingling her lips, causing her to shudder beneath him. Without even touching her, he could make her feel all sorts of things. Naruto started to tilt his head sideways, and she knew that this was the sign of a beginning kiss.

The distance between them decreased, and now, they were barely an inch apart.

.

He dipped his head in, his bottom lip brushing against hers, before…

.  
>.<p>

"HEY HINATA! Just finished my shift with the other old guy. Man, can't I get a kid patient for onc-"The blondie paused in her footsteps and glanced across the room, then up to them. Her eyes widened while she held the door knob behind her, stepping into the room with a clipboard, then kicking the door shut. You could pretty much smell the awkwardness in the air. With a sneaky blush on her face, she smirked cheekily to herself, _'HINATA SCORE! That's the way to make out! ON THE BED! WOOTS WOOTS!'_

What could you expect? A girl and a boy, who both happen to be in love and on a bed, inches away from each other's lips with heated faces. How could she not get any funny ideas?

"So, I see you're awake, bodo-brain." Ino smiled and skid over to the bed table, placing her clipboard onto the corner, "And with Hinata... On the bed... eeeeeheehee -squirm-" The girl winked, causing the couple to heat up.

"HAR HAR yes Ino. Quit the teasing!"

"But you two are just TOO cute!" She brought her hands up to her lips and purred. "Oh, I think one day, I should take you guys to a beach resort! We could all get a tan!"  
>"He doesn't need one, he's already really tanned." Hinata smiled.<p>

"And my hime finds me sexy this way." Naruto teased while scratching the back of his head, causing Hinata to deliver a playful slap to his arm.

"Well anyway, I'll get an available doctor to run some checks on you, and if you're alright, you'll be discharged, and you can get back to your erotic little 'reunion' with Hinata. Am I right?" Ino laughed maniacally, feeling somewhat evil for her teasing.  
>The couple on the bed suddenly felt awkward tension, Hinata separating from Naruto. As soon as she left the bed, she could feel his eyes on her back, begging her to stay. She slid to the door, placing an arm on Ino's shoulder, "I'll come see you later, okay? Promise me you won't do anything stupid."<p>

Naruto grinned, "No promises, sweetheart!"

The midnight beauty's lips formed a gentle smile, her long eyelashes flicking up and down.

With a final goodbye, the two girls left the man alone in his room, while walking down the narrow corridors. Nurses and doctors rushed out of the rooms, and the two seemed to be just obstructing their way with their girly conversation.  
>"So… Hinata…" Ino pressed her shoulders to Hinata's, gaining her attention.<p>

"Yes?" She replied.

"Is he any good?"

A question mark floated above Hinata's head. "What do you mean, Ino-chan?"

Seeing as to how innocent she was, Ino decided to be…a little more… direct.  
>"How's the sex? Is he good in bed? Does he make you scream when he-" Hinata pressed her hand to Ino's lips, watching as a young boy walked past them, running around with a "Avatar, the legend of Korra" doll. She could feel all the blood rushing to her cheeks, and suddenly she felt faint. Unable to utter out any word, she simply walked on with her head down, making a desperate attempt to get away from her friend.<br>"Oh Hinata! Hinaaaaata! Woohoo! Woopdeedoodoo! Hey!"

Her cries were ignored.  
>Ino giggled with a snicker, 'Time to get to the other one. Oh how I love teasing those two!'<p>

**In the bathroom  
><strong>  
>She splashed cold water on her face, enjoying the slight chill it gave. The tiny droplets rolled down her cheek, down to her chin, before wiping them away. Gazing back up to the mirror, she found her blush still there, but it had somewhat faded. She shook her head, trying to remove Ino's words from her mind. <em>'How's the sex? Is he good in bed? Does he make you scream when he-?'<br>_  
>Oh goodness, she could've fainted if she had heard the ending to that sentence. How direct could she get? As innocent little Hinata dozed off into a daydream, she started to imagine, to picture out Ino's questions.<p>

_'Naruto-kun…'_ she thought with a blush. Oh, she would imagine him there- _he would be standing at her window in nothing more than his pants, a necklace around his neck, it falling nicely onto his perfect body. His body would be wet, and his blonde locks would kiss his tanned forehead and neck. He would wink at her seductively, smirking as he pinned her to the wall, molding his lips into hers._

"Hinata-chan…" He'd moan, sending shivers down her body.  
>Each kiss would end up in another piece of clothing missing-<p>

"What am I thinking of?" She gasped. Had she really just thought of… of THAT? Oh good heavens, she was losing it- how could she deny the fact that her boyfriend was the perfect prince charming with his amazing body!

"What would Chuck Norris do…"

**~~~NARUHINA~~~**

"OI! That's kind of a VERY personal question!"

This was becoming awkward for Naruto, and the both of them knew it. Tension collided in the room. Why did she always have to make things so awkward? Her name should've been, Ino awkward… Or something… She was always spying on them, trying to dig out more about their relationship! Nosy little blonde. Well, he meant himself too.  
>"Oh come on, it's either yes, or no. That's it bird-brain!"<br>Naruto groaned and felt redness coming to his cheeks. Rarely would she see the blonde blush. He clutched his blankets tightly…  
>He shot her an irritated glare. "I don't know how on earth to answer that question… Do you mind helping me get some coke? I've got the sudden urge for... er... gas..."<p>

Ino scoffed. "Oh pu-lease. You're just avoiding the question!" She was the determined time, "You know I just asked Hinata the same question earlier... Maybe about 10 minutes ago."

A sly grin curled upon her lips when she saw the blonde's head snap up with anticipation. She knew how to twine herself around anyone to get her answers, despite their persistence. His fists clenched.  
>"… Well...W-What did she say…?" He asked, his head down.<p>

The Yamanaka giggled. _She had him now_.  
>"Oh… well… She said some.. pretty interesting things… I hadn't expected it myself. You'd be pretty surprised, if only you knew."<br>A large blush spread across the jinchuriki's cheeks. "T-tell me!" His voice was filled with urgency. He was eager to know…  
>Just then, Doctor Yamashoka entered the room, a stethoscope slung around his neck. With a warm smile, he greeted the youth with a small nod.<p>

"Goodmorning sonny. I'm doctor Yamashoka, but just call me Doctor Y. I'm more used to that."

"Okay okay could we just quickly get the check-up done? I assure you, my body is 200% normal!" Naruto hurried.

"Alright, alright." Dr Y sighed, laughing at the blonde's childishness. "But wait! Ino has to tell me something REALLY important!"

She simply shrugged her shoulders, her purple top sliding up her belly a little, "Oh well, I guess it can wait. He's all yours Doctor!"

"GARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"

* * *

><p>After a check-up, seeing no signs of injury, the hyperactive knucklehead was released from his sickly 'prison', throwing on his infamous orange and black jumpsuit before leaping out of the window. He never did bother to check himself out at the front desk. Although all his injuries and wounds disappeared, there was still a strange churning that went on in his abdomen, and it even started to hurt. The pain was different. Yet, thinking that it was one of his hunger issues, he headed for his favourite ramen shop innocently; too thick-headed to sense that something might be wrong.<p>

"Hmph…" A deep voice puffed, "Seems like the jinchuriki isn't as wise as I thought. For a demon so wise, it must be such a shame to be chambered in such an ignorant, foolish boy as such. Nevertheless, I will have my way. All it takes, it time…"

The mysterious figure backed up into the eclipse of the alleyway, fading into the air with each step, though, a trail of a sickening grin was left behind, along with a laugh that pierced through kryptonite.

"Nine-tails… Soon…" A sinister laugh erupted.

"Tsunade-sama. I have the mission reports."

The large-breasted Hokage spun her chair around, taking a glance at the filed documents.  
>She sighed. "I expected the documents in yesterday." The pinkette bowed her head, murmuring a soft apology. "Sakura, this was supposed to be a simple C-ranked mission. Why on earth did Naruto come back with two broken ribs, chakra exhaustion, and also a massive blow to his knee?"<p>

Sakura bit her lips, standing with a heavy head, somewhat glued to the floor. Tsnuade started to raise her voice a little. "Naruto is very important. Not just to the village, but to me, and you as well. We cannot risk him getting hurt like this, even when it's just a simple C-rank mission! I told team 7 to stay out of trouble to the best of your ability. Now, tell me, what happened?"

The medical ninja sighed, bowing her head. "It's in the report, but perhaps my verbal explanation will be more specific. After we had escorted the company head, we were on our way back to Konoha, stopping by a village near the borders of the hidden Mist. We had been careful to avoid the hidden Mist. The village was a very small one, going by the name of Shikohama. We had stopped to have lunch at one of the restaurants there, and left right after. Right along the gates of the village, we encountered a member of the Akatsuki…"

The blonde Hokage's eyes shot open, her grip tightening on the porcelain cup. _'Dammit..'_

"Who was it?"

The girl gulped.

"It was Kisame Hoshigaki. He had ambushed us, and was obviously after the Kyuubi. Naruto had…"  
>The sound of silence embraced the air.<br>Sakura grit her teeth. "In order to protect me… He threw himself in front of… Kisame's sword… And took the hit for me…"  
>The pinkette felt sorry. She felt regret. Immediately the same clip of Naruto throwing himself in front of Kisame's blade played in her mind, and to make it was, somehow it was jammed on rewind.<p>

"Tsunade-sama…" Her eyes were shut, "I thought I was strong… But the truth is…"

"I'll always need someone like Naruto to watch my back… I'm not independent. I wish I could be. I thought that after all the training you gave me, that I would match up to your standard. That I would at least be able to protect myself… But that day, I knew that, that wasn't the case."

The Hokage leaned back into her chair.

"Naruto's always putting others before him. His friends. He'll stop at nothing to protect them. Yet, I feel so useless, so pathetic. I was trained by none other than the Hokage, one of the three infamous legendary sannin, the woman who was known to have monstrous strength, able to cure any illness… But…"

"Truth to be is… I'm still that little girl who needs to be watched…"

Tsunade sighed and massaged her temples. "Sakura, you're my student, and I'll support you. You've come a long way since I first trained you, and you've definitely improved. You're strong. But you have to realize that… Naruto is much stronger. Even stronger than me. He could fight battles I never could, and I need him to watch my back too. That's what comrades are for, remember? We watch each other's backs and make sure nothing happens to them."  
>Sakura nodded. "Alright… Still…"<p>

_'I need to get even stronger… So I can always watch Naruto's back!' _The girl thought with determination.

Tsnuade-sama smiled, "Alright, Sakura, you may leave."  
>With a nod, the girl bowed and disappeared from the spacious room. It was fluttered with lose papers and documents, files stacked over files and piles of reports.<p>

The Hokage dipped her head into her hands, releasing a loud, audible groan. "If the Akatsuki can track Naruto this easily, there's no doubt that they'll be launching an ambush on him. Naruto's in trouble. That's why now, we need to do everything we can to support him."

_'Kisame is definitely not someone to mess around with. He's a dangerous S-rank ninja. He definitely does live up to his sick reputation. Killing his own comrades to prevent any secret information from leaking out… And usually I thought he'd be paired with Uchiha Itachi… Strangely Sakura had only mentioned seeing Kisame. Strange…'_

Her glare intensified, "Shizune!"  
>In a flash, her loyal, trusted accomplice appeared in a cloud of smoke, landing right beside the Hokage desk. "Hai!"<br>"Get me 20 anbu black-opps from the B department. I want troops in to get information on the secret hideouts of the Akatsuki lair."

Her hazelnut eyes darkened, her age peering through her jutsu on her forehead. If the Akatsuki thought they could get to Naruto, they were wrong. Naruto was more than just a mere fellow shinobi to her. He was her grandson, and he would live on the dreams of Dan, and her precious little brother. No one, would get in the way of that.

* * *

><p>"Another bowl, old man!"<p>

Ichiraku grinned through his brimming teeth, weeping his white kitchen robe up his arm. "You bet!"  
>Naruto had just wolfed down his third bowl of ramen, still going strong, and hungry. How he had missed the sweet, sweet, wonderful taste of this amazing delicacy. The texture of the smooth noodles he slurped, along with the wonderful fishcake, named after him. What an honour.<p>

Just then, a young familiar girl stepped into the shop.  
>"Welcome!" the young brunette greeted.<br>Turning around with ramen poking out of his lips, he smiled. "Sakura-chan! What's up?"

His comrade returned the grin and took a seat beside him, pulling out a pair of chopsticks as she did. "I'm alright, nothing much is going on. You just got out of the hospital?"

The blonde nodded dumbly, "Heck yeah! And I just can't get enough of this ramen! I missed it so. So much."

Sakura laughed, giving Naruto a flick before ordering a miso ramen for herself. Peering at Naruto, she saw his childhood grin, the one that could bring anyone joy. The grin that he showed when he was truly happy. Well, ramen was one thing that satisfied him. It hurt her to know that one day, she may not get to see that grin anymore.

_'The Akatsuki are after him… And we all have to protect him… But if I can't even protect myself… then…' _She tightened her grip on the wooden chopsticks, causing them to snap into half.

The snap alerted Naruto.

"Hey, you feeling angry or something? I swear I haven't done anything stupid yet! Hinata's perfectly fine if you think I did something to her!" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"Ohhhhh. Don't worry it's not you baka. Aharheheharharhehe...heh..." Sakura forced a laugh, one which came out really wrong, sending shivers down her teammates spine.  
>Naruto's eyes widened as he gave the pinkette a shaky smile. She really did sound like a witch when she laughed like that. Talk about creepy! She had the cooties! He simply nodded, turning back to Ichiraku, who seemed to be struggling to carry the large bowl of ramen.<p>

"Alright!" He licked his lips, preparing to dive in.

Sakura giggled to herself lightly, but that smile soon turned upside down.  
><em>'The Kyuubi. It's all what they're after…'<em>She sighed, this going unnoticed by Naruto.

Turning her attention to Naruto, she asked. "Hey, Naruto?"

His eyes shot to the corner of his eyes. "mmmm yeahhh?"

"Does... Hinata remember?"

Upon hearing the mention of his girlfriend's name, the boy chewed his ramen into half, quickly swallowing the noodle down hard. His puzzled gaze bore deep into his team mates. "ehh? Remember what?"

Sakura frowned before moving to point to his abdomen.  
>Immediately, he knew what she meant. He flicked his eyes away, his fists clenched tightly. Strangely, his heart began to beat faster.<br>"I…"

She waited for his reply.

The teen shook his head, before muttering a monotoned, "No…"

**~NARUHINA~  
><strong>**-Of the coast of Fukigawashi coast, hidden cave in mountains-**

The cave was dark, moist, and life seemed almost inhibited in there. The cavern was a deep one, crystal stalagmites hanging from the top of it. Dirt fluttered with every step they took, with every lift of the sole. It was quite the walk, yet the two being high-class ninja never once complained, it seeming like just a walk in the park to them.

"Heh, I underestimated the nine-tails. Turns out the kid's improved since I last saw him." The S-ranked missing ninja laughed maniacally, his gills flapping upon it. His hat 'streamers' seemed to get in the way of his sight.

"The nine-tails is not something that should be taken lightly… You're forgetting, it was the one that nearly took out the entire village… If not for the yondaime hokage, Konoha wouldn't have made it." His partner spoke.

Kisame laughed upon that. "Well, if anyone thinks a little blonde brat is going to stop me, then they don't know how damn wrong in hell they are. One day…" The shark man flung out his sword, plunging it into the ground beneath him, making the earth skake, a stalagmite dropping from the ceiling, landing an inch in front of the two.

"I'll have his head in my fins! Hah!"

With that, the cloaked man beside him remained silent, his face staying the same, emotionless zombie it always was. But Kisame wouldn't be able to tell, now would he.  
>Kisame slid Samehada back into his sling, proceeding into the depths of the cave.<p>

Just then, a voice rang out. "You two sure took your time."

The former hidden mist ninja's slits rolled across the white to his up most left, smirking as he recognized that irritating voice. That idiot blonde, he'd like to call him.

"Shut up blonde ass. You went against the one tail. This guy is 9 times of that."

The ponytailed man scoffed. "Well, still, after taking that long, I'd expect someone like you to bring the Kyuubi back. This is why I'd prefer a human to go instead of mr fish."

Kisame grit his teeth, his eyes radiating off a killer intent. "Shut your ass or you'll get Samehada up it."  
>(AN: Deidara is still alive in this, but Sasori is dead. Sad, I liked him.)

"Shut up!" A rather crude, yet composed voice called out. Both ninjas turned their gaze towards none other than Uchiha Itachi. "We have no time for your useless arguments. Our target is the nine-tails."  
>Deidara grinned, "Well, at least someone here knows our target. You listening, shark boy?"<p>

Kisame growled.

"Nevertheless, we'll have no choice but to send another one of us out there again to retrieve the nine-tails. But now that Konoha knows, we'll need to be more careful. Drawing attention to ourselves is the last thing we need. We can be patient, though, and wait for the right time to strike. When the boy is weakest." A mysterious voice echoed throughout the cave cravens.

"I'll go again, and this time I'll bring his head." The half man half shark groaned, clenching his fists and picturing the young jinchiriki's head within them. How he would squeeze his eyeballs out of his sockets for disgracing him as such.

"No, Kisame. You are not at your full capacity. We need to be at our very strongest when fighting it. And we cannot afford for you to kill the nine-tails."

Deidara smirked, "If he even can…"

His nerves popped out of his scales. "Fine, that we can just sit here, and ROT in hell while waiting for that dumb-ass blonde, to train his ass to beat us." Steam shot out of his ears as he marched off deeper into the cave, none of the Akatsuki members seeming to give a damn. Silence filled the eerie cave. Not a single sound, or a single movement was made.

"I'll go."

Eyes turned to the figure, focusing on the voice. Darkness overwhelmed them, and why was it that they chose such a dark place for their hideout again? Sheesh, couldn't it kill to let some light in here? They weren't mole rats. And Deidara was sure that even mole rats got more light than them. Strangely, no one seemed to oppose to this mysterious person's proposal.  
>"Alright, we trust you to retrieve it, somehow."<p>

Konan smirked through her piercings. "I just realized something. How many years, have we spent chasing after this kid?"  
>Nagato replied. "Years, Konan. Years."<br>The blue-haired lady pulled a few strands of hair behind her ear, pressing against her rose accessory. "And he's going to bring him back. Hmph."  
>Her emotionless eyes closed, taking a few steps back into the pitch black darkness.<p>

Half a dozen of the red-clouded figures disappeared into thin air. Now the cave was just an eerie silence, silent footsteps echoing throughout. The being on the top right hand corner of the hall spoke.  
>"You are the most suitable for this task. But I pray you bring back the boy alive. We must abstract the nine-tails chakra."<p>

A cruel smirk formed upon the lips of the person, his eyes piercing through the shadowing darkness of the cave into his eyes.  
>"I believe. I'll tear him apart… From the inside out." And with a final nod, the cloaked figure took a few steps into the light, walking towards the entrance of the cave with a devilish grin upon his lips. Yet, no one would see it. No one would know what he had in store for the jinchuriki.<p>

.

.

And this is only the beginning.

* * *

><p><strong>~ROLLS IN WITH A KUNAI KNIFE~<strong>

ME:

Well, that sure took a while.

Naruto: Heh, please, you know what took a while? This chapter. =.=

Me: Sorry kid, I've been busy.

Ten ten: Hey, what happened to me?

Me: Sorry kid, I've been busy.

Naruto: Hey! That answers not good enough!

Sai: Naruto-chan, you're forgetting that trinity456's the reason why you're even alive in this story. Sure Masashi owns us, but this story is hers.

Naruto: Don't try to sound like the smart dude around here, SAI-CHANNIE-CHAN-CHAN.

Sai: Please shut your facehole, dickless.

Naruto: Just to let you know, I do have a dick! And it's probably way bigger than yours!

Sai: I thought yours was a nano long o.O

Naruto: !

Sai: -winks-

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm sorry I took so long to update! I've been really really frustrated with studies! You know how they're important. I still love writing fanfics though. Stories and music are everything to me  
>Thanks for reading this, and I really hope you can introduce this to your friends or relatives, and turn them into mini Naruhina zombies like me! Haha except that I'm Naruhina all the way. :D<p>

**Review,**pretty please, with the nice cherries on top, and with a chocolate milkshake! You'll really help me! Yeah, YOUUU! :)

Love ya,  
>Bye Bye!<p> 


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